Dining-Out Guide

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Does the sight of a restaurant menu fill you with delight . . . or dread? Is dining out your chance to enjoy a fine, relaxing meal (that you don't have to cook yourself) in the company of friends? Or does it become the occasion for hours, or days, of remorse because you blew your diet?

If the thought of restaurant dining scares you, you're not alone. Put the average dieter in her own kitchen, surrounded by food she's purchased herself and plenty of scales, books and measuring cups to help keep her mind on her waistline, and she usually manages just fine. But put her in a restaurant--be it anything from French to fast food--and more often than not she panics. Is this, she worries, when she'll wipe out in one sitting the results from all those weeks of grim discipline and hard work?

It needn't be.

Forget the idea that you can manage your diet only when you're doing the cooking. After all, you have to live in the real world, and restaurant dining is a wonderful part of it! Indeed, eating out is more popular than ever: The National Restaurant Association reports that in 1991 every American eight years old and older ate on average 198 meals per year away from home. You may not be visiting restaurants quite that often, but if you want to there's no reason to let your diet be a deterrent.

Furthermore, restaurateurs have become increasingly sensitive and responsive to the public's growing demand for low-fat, low-calorie meals and many have adjusted their menus accordingly. This is why you see more and more restaurants--especially those that cater to businesspeople who dine out much more than most of us--offering special "heart-smart" and weight-conscious dishes prepared with fewer saturated fats, less sugar and more fresh fruits and vegetables.

But even our favorite fast-food chains have gotten into the low-fat act. McDonald's, for instance, removed most of the fat from its McLean Deluxe, with just 9 percent fat in its beef patty (compared with 20 percent in other McDonald's beef patties and up to 30 percent in the ground beef you'd find in the supermarket). Their breakfast selections now include fat-free muffins, whole-grain cereals and 1 percent milk. And, adds a McDonald's nutritionist, "because we want customers to have all the facts on our food so they can fit it into their overall meal plan, we post nutrition information in the lobby of all our restaurants, and we distribute brochures with calorie counts, fat counts and complete ingredient information."

Brain Food You're at the office, you look up at the clock: 11:30 a.m. It's an hour before your lunch date, and you haven't had a morsel to eat since breakfast at 6:45. You're so famished you could eat the eraser right off the pencil, not to mention every doughnut on the coffee wagon. You've just found out why you should never, ever go too long between healthy meals or snacks. "Glucose, your brain's energy source, runs out after about five hours, compromising your brain power," explains registered dietitian and nutritionist Evelyn Tribole, author of Eating on the Run. You'll begin to feel a hunger so intense that you'll be willing to eat anything and everything. It helps to plan a healthy lunch at work, advises Tribole. Pack your own if you tend to get so caught up in work that you forget to go out, she says. And as extra insurance, take some nutritious "grazing" food along to tide you through the day. Carry along tiny boxes of raisins, rice cakes or small containers of tomato juice to keep in your lunchbox or desk drawer when you need a quick worktime pick-me-up.

The Skinny on Savvy Restaurant Dining

Eateries of nearly every kind are trying their best to prove that you can enjoy their dishes without sending your diet down the tubes. Still, some places are better than others for people trying to shed some pounds. "In general," says Aliza Green, a Philadelphia restaurant consultant and former chef, "dieters should steer clear of old-fashioned American or 'home-style' restaurants, as well as classic French, which will have pretty rich dishes, and 'continental' restaurants, which usually feature heavy sauces and big portions of starches and meats."

Her recommendation? Ethnic eateries, including Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean, Greek, Turkish, northern African and the like. "In most ethnic places you can get a lot more vegetables, grains and lighter sauces, and the more authentic the restaurant, the better." Of course, she warns, "you still have to be careful. For example, fettuccine Alfredo, which is loaded with cream and butter, is the most popular dish in some Italian restaurants! But if you look you can find a nice piece of fish or a roasted-pepper antipasto, and bread that tastes good enough that it doesn't need butter."

There are certain key words and phrases on a restaurant menu that generally spell trouble for dieters, according to Myron Winick, M.D., former director of the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University in New York City. These include:

* Buttery, buttered or butter sauce

* Sautéed, fried, pan-fried, breaded, glazed or crispy

* Creamy, creamed, in cream sauce or in its own gravy

* Au gratin, Parmesan, in cheese sauce or escalloped

* Au lait, à la mode or au fromage

* Marinated, stewed, basted or casserole

* Prime, hash, pot pie or Hollandaise

However, there are plenty of other safe eating options at your favorite restaurant. Just look for these words or phrases in the description.

* Pickled

* Tomato sauce or cocktail sauce

* Steamed

* Poached

* In broth or in its own juice

* Garden fresh

* Roasted

* Stir-fried

Here are a few other tips for savvier restaurant dining.

Speak up. Don't be afraid to make special requests--in this day of health- and waist-conscious eating, it's quite common. In fact, nine out of ten restaurant owners surveyed by the National Restaurant Association said they would, if customers requested it, happily serve dishes with sauce or dressing on the side and cook with vegetable oil or margarine instead of highly saturated butter, lard or shortening. And eight out of ten of these eager-to-please restaurateurs add that they would gladly bake or broil your chicken or fish rather than fry it. Just say the word.

Play the trade-off game. "When you know you'll be going out to a nice restaurant for dinner, 'bank' your calories by eating a bit less than usual at breakfast and lunch," urges Carole Livingston, author of I'll Never Be Fat Again. Carole lost 40 pounds 20 years ago and never saw them again, despite her membership in the Wine and Food Society and her hundreds of visits to fine restaurants around the world. When you've "banked" a few calories, you can go out, have the foods you enjoy and not feel guilty about it.

Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Never go to a one-price, all-you-can-eat restaurant. Ever. (Need we say more?)

Say yes to soup. Soups--including vegetable, bean and clear soups--are often good choices. In an Italian restaurant, for instance, try tortellini in brodo (meat-filled pasta in broth). But avoid soups beginning with the words "cream of."

Bury Caesar. Don't let the word "salad" on a menu lull you into thinking that it's automatically a wise choice, says Green. Caesar salad, for instance, is the most popular salad in American restaurants--just about every one of them features it, some with variations such as grilled chicken or shrimp on top. "But it's one of the worst things you can order," she says. "These days, chefs don't use raw eggs when they make the Caesar salad dressing, they use mayonnaise and cheese in the dressing, and plenty of it. And the croutons are fried in oil. It's a very rich dish."

Beware of salad bars. Similarly, salad bars may look like safe havens for dieters, but watch out! Ladling on those creamy, high-fat dressings, sprinkling on handfuls of croutons or bacon bits, and gobbling down those mayonnaise-packed potato and macaroni salads can turn your "light" lunch into a caloric nightmare.

Be wise about size. Don't think that just because you paid for the food it means you have to finish every morsel. "Restaurant portions are 'unisex,' so they're usually too big for most women," reminds Green. So ask for a doggy bag and take the extra food home for another meal.

Ban the butter. If there's bread and butter on the table, ask your dining companions if it's okay to move it to their side of the table. Better yet, have the waiter remove them altogether.

Lose the race. Have an (unspoken) competition with your dining partners to be the last person to finish eating. Men and women with weight problems tend to eat fast and are usually the first ones in any given group to be done. For once, experiment to see how slowly you can eat. Bonus: You'll enjoy the conversation and the food so much more.

Take two for one. For a change of pace, try ordering two low-fat appetizers instead of a main course. The practice is not as uncommon as you may think. Don't feel pressured into ordering in "order." Make your own menu. It's okay to graze.

Ask questions about the menu. Some people are better off not looking at the menu to avoid confusion. If you've been watching what you eat for any length of time, you already have a pretty good idea of what you can have and what you can't. Ask for specifics about the specials; even if they don't have exactly what you want at the vast majority of restaurants you can still get baked or broiled poultry or fish, a simple pasta dish, steamed vegetables and fruit for dessert. Remember the menu is there to tempt you; you're there to make choices.

Order first. Be the first one at the table to order. You'll be less tempted to have some of the other, more fattening dishes your companions may choose.

Forget the umbrella. You don't have to skip alcohol altogether--a glass of wine during dinner or some champagne as a cocktail is fine. However, stay away from any alcoholic beverage with a straw or a little paper umbrella in it or one that's a primary color. Fruity mixed drinks and heavy after-dinner cordials are packed with sugar and calories.

Satisfy your thirst. Drink plenty of water throughout the meal and you'll eat less. Order a bottle of mineral water for the table, or ask the waiter to bring a pitcher of tap water.

Go native. In a Chinese or Thai restaurant, use the chopsticks (especially if you don't use them well!). Why? It slows you down.

Be a skeptic. In diners or family-style restaurants, be careful about ordering the so-called dieter's specials, which, ironically, may have excessive amounts of protein and calories. Just because a hamburger comes with a side scoop of cottage cheese does not make this a smart choice for waist watchers. If anything, you'd be far better off ordering the burger or the cottage cheese à la carte, with a green salad or some steamed veggies on the side.

Specify moo. Ask the waiter to bring you milk (better yet, low-fat milk) for your coffee. Unless you ask, you can expect to be served cream or half-and-half.

Get your just desserts. Here's the $64,000 restaurant question: "What's for dessert?" Sure, there's always fresh fruit or sorbet. But if you want something a bit more daring, try a hot fruit soufflé, which is made primarily of fresh fruit and egg whites. Or if you must have Death by Chocolate, it needn't spell death for your diet: Simply order one serving for the entire table and take just a forkful or two. You'll find it surprisingly satisfying.

Cut loose occasionally. As a general rule, dining out doesn't mean leaving your diet at home. However--and this is not a contradictory statement--everyone, including someone who's trying to lose weight, is entitled to have exactly what she wants in a restaurant from time to time. If you're going out to celebrate your 25th anniversary or your son's college graduation, have that piece of chocolate cake or that extra glass of champagne. As long as you're mindful of your weight-loss program and return to it immediately, you can have a "sinful" restaurant meal occasionally.

Selecting the Best of the Best If you're smart in your meal selection, there's virtually no type of restaurant that's off-limits for those trying to lose (or maintain) weight. The chart below will give you a good idea how leaning toward certain items and away from others can mean big fat and calorie savings in your daily food budget. Yes, it's definitely possible to eat more at your favorite restaurant and weigh less. Instead of . . . Have . . . American Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich Lobster salad sandwich (335 cal./16 g. fat) (270 cal./11 g. fat) Chef's salad, no dressing, 1 1/2 cups Garden salad, no dressing, 11/2 cups (260 cal./15 g. fat) (50 cal./2 g. fat) Sirloin steak, 8 oz. New York steak, lean, 8 oz. (523 cal./27 g. fat) (478 cal./22 g. fat) Chinese* Kung pao chicken Stir-fried chicken with vegetables (490 cal./25 g. fat) (245 cal./14 g. fat) Moo shu pork Beef and green pepper stir-fry (630 cal./38 g. fat) (290 cal./11 g. fat) Pan-fried soft noodles Shrimp chow mein (680 cal./36 g. fat) (240 cal./5 g. fat) Fast Food* Burger King Bacon Double Cheese- Burger King Hamburger burger (510 cal./38 g. fat) (260 cal./10 g. fat) Domino's Deluxe Pizza, 2 slices Domino's Cheese Pizza, 2 slices (500 cal./20 g. fat) (375 cal./10 g. fat) Hardee's Chocolate Shake Hardee's Cool Twist Chocolate 390 cal./10 g. fat) Cone (180 cal./4 g. fat) McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, McDonald's Chunky Chicken Salad 6 (270 cal./15 g. fat) (150 cal./4 g. fat) Pizza Hut Super Supreme Pizza, Pizza Hut Veggie Lover's Pizza, 1 slice (276 cal./10 g. fat) 1 slice (192 cal./8 g. fat) Taco Bell Taco Salad, without shell Taco Bell Tostada (481 cal./31 g. fat) (170 cal./7 g. fat) French Crème brûlée, 4 oz. Orange soufflé, 4 oz. (325 cal./25 g. fat) (155 cal./8 g. fat) Duck à l'orange, 1/4 duck Orange-glazed cornish hen with (835 cal./69 g. fat) wild rice stuffing, 1 hen (560 cal./ 26 g. fat) Veal cordon bleu, 4 oz. Chicken divan, 6 oz. (440 cal./27 g. fat) (385 cal./18 g. fat) Italian Cannoli Zabaglione, 4 oz. (530 cal./35 g. fat) (120 cal./4 g. fat) Pasta with cream sauce and Pasta with fresh tomato, basil and prosciutto, 12 oz. garlic, 12 oz. (906 cal./18 g. fat) (520 cal./11 g. fat) Mexican Beef burrito with sour cream Chicken burrito, 6" tortilla (431 cal./21 g. fat) (334 cal./12 g. fat) Chicken chimichanga Chicken fajita (605 cal./35 g. fat) (190 cal./8 g. fat) Red beans with pork, 3 oz. Refried beans, 1/2 cup (320 cal./19 g. fat) (130 cal./2 g. fat) Seafood Breaded and fried clams, 6 oz. Steamed clams, 20 small (342 cal./19 g. fat) (155 cal./1 g. fat) Breaded and fried shrimp, 6 oz. Seasoned shrimp, 6 oz. (412 cal./20 g. fat) (154 cal./2 g. fat) Broiled swordfish steak, in olive oil, Poached salmon, 8 oz. 8 oz. (600 cal./45 g. fat) (368 cal./14 g. fat) *All sizes are typical entrée servings.